In seriousness, I’ve heard theories that microchips could be used in the brain to fix severed or damaged nerves. Since both run on electricity, if there were some way to encode a chip with signals the brain could interpret, it could be possible to use such chips to fix such problems as paralysis, damage-induced blindness, damage-induced deafness, or any number of other problems.
Then again, I’ve heard it said that Christopher Reeves may walk again after a HEAD TRANSPLANT, so my sources may be off…
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Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site.
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Cecil’s column can be found on-line at this link:
Is it possible to implant a microchip in somebody’s brain to control their thoughts? (19-Jan-1996)
The column (including Slug Signorino’s illustration) can also be found on pages 45-47 of Cecil Adams’ book “The Straight Drop Tells All”.
The books can be purchased here:
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